Sergeant Michael Dodds was second in command at the Special Victims Unit. He was transferred to SVU by his father, Deputy Chief William Dodds when Olivia Benson was promoted to Lieutenant.
On SVU
Mike was shot in the shoulder by serial killer/rapist Greg Yates during a manhunt in upstate New York after Yates and fellow serial killer/rapist Carl Rudnick escaped from prison. Mike and Chicago P.D. Detective Erin Lindsay pursued Yates after he attacked Rudnick and left him to be recaptured. (SVU: "Nationwide Manhunt")
He was temporarily made acting commander of SVU after IAB suspends Benson for being involved with Ed Tucker, who was a suspect in the investigation. (SVU: "Manhattan Transfer")
Mike was shot during his final day at SVU by corrupt prison guard and serial rapist Gary Munson, who had taken Dodds and Munson's wife hostage. At first, Mike appeared to be recovering, but when his fiancé arrived, Bensen noticed that he wasn't making sense and called in the doctor. It was eventually determined that Mike suffered a massive stroke that ultimately left him brain dead. After Mike's organs were harvested for transplanting, he was taken off life support and died, devastating everyone who knew him. Following his death, Mike was given a hero's funeral and his mother and younger brother, both of whom were in other countries and had had nothing to do with his father for years, came home to help his father deal with his loss. Bensen blamed herself for Mike's death and sought counseling, while the incident inspired Ed Tucker to file for a transfer to hostage negotiation. (SVU: "Heartfelt Passages")
Appearances
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1 season, 15 episodes):
- Season 17: "Maternal Instincts" • "Patrimonial Burden" • "Melancholy Pursuit" • "Catfishing Teacher" • "Townhouse Incident" • "A Misunderstanding" • "Forty-One Witnesses" • "Nationwide Manhunt" • "Collateral Damages" • "Star-Struck Victims" • "Manhattan Transfer" • "Unholiest Alliance" • "Fashionable Crimes" • "Intersecting Lives" • "Heartfelt Passages"